Lewis & Short

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rĕ-tendo, di, tum, or sum, 3, v. a., to release from tension, to unbend, slacken, relax (very rare; syn.: relaxo, resolvo).

  1. I. Lit.: lentos arcus, to unbend, Ov. M. 2, 419; Stat. S. 4, 4, 30; in the part. perf.: arcus retentus, Ov. M. 3, 166: arcus retensus, Phaedr. 3, 14, 5.
  2. * II. Trop.: ea quoque, quae sensu et animā carent, velut alternā quiete retenduntur, i. e. unbend, relax (shortly before, remissio), Quint. 1, 3, 8.

1. rĕtento, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [retineo], to hold back firmly, to keep back, to hold fast (rare; not in Cic.).

  1. I. Lit.: cur me retentas? Plaut. As. 3, 3, 1; id. Rud. 3, 6, 39; cf. agmen, Liv. 10, 5: legiones, Tac. H. 4, 13: fugientes, id. ib. 5, 21: admissos equos, Ov. A. A. 2, 434; cf. frena, id. Am. 2, 9, 30: puppes, Tac. H. 2, 35; Luc. 3, 586: vires regni, id. 4, 723: pecuniam, calones, sarcinas, Tac. H. 4, 60: caelum a terris, i. e. to hold apart, Lucr. 2, 729: iste qui retentat sese tacitus, quo sit tutus, restrains himself, Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62.
  2. II. Trop.: iras, i. e. to suppress, Val. Fl. 3, 97.
    1. B. Transf., to hold back from destruction, preserve, maintain: (mens divina) Quae penitus sensus hominum vitasque retentat, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 17.

2. rĕ-tento (-tempto), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to try or attempt again, to reattempt (a poet. word of the Aug. per.): timide verba intermissa retentat, Ov. M. 1, 746: preces, id. ib. 14, 382: fila lyrae, id. ib. 5, 117: referoque manus iterumque retento, id. H.10,11: viam leti, id. M. 11, 792: studium fatale, id. Tr. 5, 12, 51: arma, Luc. 2, 514: memoriam meam, Sen. Ep. 72, 1: nec audent ea retentare, quorum vitia retractando patescunt, id. Brev. Vit. 10, 2: nec vana retentet spes Minyas, move or affect again, Val. Fl. 5, 679.
With inf.: saepe retentantem totas refringere vestes, Ov. M. 9, 208.

rĕ-tĭnĕo, ŭi, tentum, 2, v. a. [teneo].

  1. I. (With the signif. of the re predominating.) To hold or keep back, not let go; to detain, retain; to restrain (class.; cf. restringo).
    1. A. Lit.: Ep. Asta, abire hinc non sinam. Th. Quid nunc me retines? Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 61: quotiens foras ego ire volo, me retines, revocas, id. Men. 1, 2, 5: quid, malum, astas? Quin retines altrinsecus? id. Mil. 2, 5, 36; id. Stich. 2, 3, 11: te dexterā retinens manu Opsecro, id. Capt. 2, 3, 82: si magis vis, eam omittam. Py. Nolo; retine, id. Mil. 4, 8, 27: retine me, id. Curc. 2, 3, 11; Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 23: concilium dimittit, Liscum retinet, Caes. B. G. 1, 18: homines, Cic. Att. 13, 14, 1: ab his fit initium retinendi Silii, etc., Caes. B. G. 3, 8; 3, 9; 3, 10 et saep.: milites, id. ib. 7, 47; 7, 52; cf.: milites in loco, id. B. C. 3, 92: legiones ad urbem, id. ib. 1, 2; 1, 9: cohortes apud se, id. ib. 2, 19: venit Varro ad me, et quidem id tempus, ut retinendus esset, when he must be kept, Cic. Att. 13, 33, 4: biduum tempestate retentus, detained, Caes. B. C. 3, 102; cf. id. B. G. 7, 1; Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 12; cf.: aegre sunt retenti, quin oppidum irrumperent, Caes. B. C. 2, 13 fin.: vi me, vi inquam, Plancius et complexu suo retinuit, Cic. Planc. 41, 100: nisi jam profecti sunt, retinebis homines, id. Att. 13, 14, 1: euntem, Ov. H. 18, 99: aliquem vinclis, id. R. Am. 213: consulem, Liv. 37, 51: morbo retineri, id. 34, 10; v. also infra, B.: armorum parte tertiā celatà atque in oppido retentā, Caes. B. G. 2, 32 fin.; 2, 33: naves pro bonis Tarquiniorum ab Aristodemo retentae sunt, i. e. as security, Liv. 2, 34, 4: vinum portantes naves tempestatibus retentas esse, id. 37, 27, 2; Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 45: mercedem, to keep back, stop, id. As. 2, 4, 37: alienum, Cic. Fl. 23, 56: lacrimas, Ov. M. 1, 647: manus ab ore, id. ib. 9, 575 et saep.: mulierem, to hold, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 33; cf.: mulierem per vim, id. Bacch. 4, 8, 2: arcum manu, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74: faculas sagittas, Prop. 2, 29 (3, 27), 5; cf.: injectā manu ferreā et retentā utrāque nave, Caes. B. C. 1, 58: sudor madidā veste retentus, Mart. 5, 79, 3.
    2. B. Trop., to hold in check, keep within bounds, to restrain, check, repress, etc.: hoc servi esse officium reor, retinere at salutem (erum), Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 8: liberos retinere, Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 33; Cic. Rep. 2, 25, 46; cf.: moderantem cursum atque in suā potestate retinentem, id. ib. 1, 29, 45: gaudia, Ov. M. 12, 285: rabiem, id. ib. 3, 566: verba dolore, id. ib. 10, 474: aliquem in officio, Cic. Rosc. Am. 25, 70: animos sociorum in fide, Liv. 25, 40: retineri nequeo quin dicam ea, quae promeres, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 15 (cf. supra, A.): quae (varietas) vehementer animos hominum in legendo tuo scripto retinere possit . . . ordo ipse annalium mediocriter nos retinet, binds, enchains, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 4 and 5: (picus) Ore suo volucres vagas retinere solebat, Ov. M. 14, 340: lingua retenta metu, id. H. 11, 82: retinentibus vobis, erumperem, Curt. 6, 3, 5.
  2. II. (With the signif. of the verb predominant.) To hold fast, keep, retain, preserve, maintain, etc. (freq. only since the class. per.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.; cf. obtineo).
    1. A. Lit.: potius mansuetudine et innocentiā imperatoris provinciam quam vi militum aut benignitate deorum retentam atque conservatam esse, Cato ap. Cic. Fam. 15, 5, 2: oppidum, Caes. B. G. 7, 21 fin.: arces (Minerva), to preserve, protect, Cat. 64, 8: id egit, ut amicos observantiā, rem parsimoniā retineret, Cic. Quint. 18, 59; cf.: retinere servareque amicos, Hor. S. 1, 1, 89: summos cum infimis pari jure, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 41: Aegyptum, Curt. 4, 1, 30: regionem, id. 6, 5, 21: neque virtutem qui habet virtute retinetur in vitā, Cic. Fin. 3, 18, 61 B. and K.: fortunam citius reperias quam retineas, Publ. Syr. 168 Rib.
    2. B. Trop.: retinete (fidem), post factum ut laetemini, Plaut. Rud. prol. 30: existimo jus augurum . . . rei publicae causā conservatum ac retentum, Cic. Div. 2, 35, 75; so, jus suum, id. Verr. 2, 3, 14, § 37; Caes. B. C. 1, 5: statum suum, Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 43: pristinam virtutem, Caes. B. G. 5, 48, 91; cf.: vestigium pristinae dignitatis, Cic. Sull. 32, 91: officium, id. Off. 3, 29, 105: justitiam (with colere), id. ib. 2, 12, 42 Beier; id. Inv. 1, 1, 3: caritatem in pastores, id. Lael. 19, 70: utilitatem in amicitiā et fidem, id. ib. 24, 88: hunc morem usque adhuc, id. Rep. 2, 20, 36; cf. id. ib. 2, 9, 16: de finibus retentae defensaeque sententiae, id. Tusc. 5, 30, 84: gravitatem retinere, iracundiam pellere, id. Off. 1, 38, 137: ferociam animi in vultu, Sall. C. 61, 4: memoriam suae pristinae virtutis, tot secundissimorum proeliorum, Caes. B. G. 2, 21; 7, 62: aliquid memoriā, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 7, 19; id. Rosc. Am. 12, 33: commissa (aures), Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 70 et saep.: ut Palaemo et Telamo et Plato dicerentur, retinuerunt, Quint. 1, 5, 60.
      With ne, Cic. Rep. 2, 32, 56.
      1. 2. Post-class. for memoriā retinere, to keep in mind, remember: sive ille Hasdrubal est, sive quis alius, non retineo, Gell. 17, 9, 16.
        With object-clause: retineo me dixisse, Dig. 35, 1, 92 init.
        Hence, rĕtĭnens, entis, P. a., holding fast, tenacious, observant of any thing (class.; cf. tenax); constr. with gen.: homo sui juris dignitatisque retinens, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 3, § 11: nimium equestris juris et libertatis, id. Planc. 23, 55: avitae nobilitatis, Tac. A. 2, 38 fin.: modestiae, id. ib. 5, 11: Seleuci conditoris (civitas), i. e. retaining his institutions, id. ib. 6, 42; cf.: antiqui moris, id. ib. 16, 5 et saep.
        Sup.: proprietatum in verbis retinentissimus, Gell. 10, 20, 10.